Light director and reflector for automobile lamps



. P. L. CALDWELL. LLGHT DIRECTOR AND REFLECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILE LAMPS.APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I920.

1 103,840. I Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

WITNESS.-

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LIGHT DIRECTOR AND REFLECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILE LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed January 22, 1920. Serial No. 353,152.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL L. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Light Directorand Reflector for Automobile Lamps, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in light directors and reflectors,particularly adapted for use in connection with automobile lamps.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind describedwhich will direct and reflect the rays of light from the light producingelement of the lamp forwardly and to the right and left but not abovethe horizontal plane of the light producing element. Ordinarily suchelements are carried on the car on a plane below the eyes of an adultperson, so that with the use of my invention, a person in front of thelamp will not be blinded by the glare therefrom.

My invention provides further a novel device of the kind described,which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, durable and notliable to get out of order, and which may be readily attached to lampsnow in use in lieu of the usual bulls eye provided on such lamps.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodimentof my invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on. the line 11 of Fig. 2, showingmy i iproved light director and reflector attachdil to an ordinary lamp.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced side elevation of a lamp provided with myimprovement.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the differentviews.

1 designates the body of an ordinary type of lamp having a front opening2 through which the light is thrown from the light producing element 3,which may be the usual incandescent lamp.

The light director and reflector comprises a horizontally disposed tube,the rear end of which encircles the opening 2, and which is providedwith two vertical "forwardly diverging sides 5, and a forwardly anddownwardly inclined top 6, the inner surfaces of the sides 5 and top 6being fiat reflecting surfaces.

Attached to the outer side of one of the sides 5 is a hinge member 7,which is adapted to be attached by a vertical pintle 8 to a hinge member9, which is attached to the body 1 at oneside of the opening 2, and towhich is usually attached a bulls eye, not shown, for which my device issubstituted.

Attached to the outer side of the other side 5 is a lug 10, which isadapted to be releasably engaged by a spring catch 11 attached to thebody 1 at the other side of the opening 2.

The light directing tube is not, necessarily, provided with a bottom,but it is, preferably, provided with a horizontal bottom 12. whichserves to keep out dirt and moisture. When the bottom 12 is provided itshould have a nonreflecting upper side 13, so that rays from the lampwill not be reflected thereby upwardly above the horizontal plane of thefront end of the top 6. The lamp or other light producing element islocated above the horizontal plane of the front end of the top 6, sothat no rays from the lamp shall be projected above that plane. As thelamps when in use on automobiles are generally below the horizontalplane of the eyes of an adult person, with the use of my improvement.the glare of the light will not he directed into the eyes of a personstanding in front of the lamp.

The front end of the light directing tube maybe covered by a transparentplate 1 1.

If it is desired to apply my inu rovement to a lamp now in use, it maybe substituted for the bulls eye by removing the latter from the hingeelement 9 and then attaching to such element the hinge member 7 by meansof the pintle 8. The catch 11 may then be engaged to the lug 10.

By springing the catch 11 so as to free it from the lug 10, the lightdirector may be swung to the open position for access to the interior ofthe lamp or the tube.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described. asmodifications,

within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is l. A light director and reflector comprising a tubehaving vertical forwardly diverging flat sides, a forwardly anddownwardly inclined top, and a horizontal bottom, the upper side of thebottom being non-reflecting, and the inner sides of the sides and topbeing reflecting, the rear end of the tube having means for beingattached to the body of a lamp.

2. The combination with a lamp having a body provided with a frontopening and a light producing element in the body arranged to throw raysthrough said opening, of a light director and reflector comprising atube having its rear end attached to said body and encircling saidopening, the tube having vertical forwardly diverging flat sides, aforwardly and downwardly inclined top, and a horizontal bottom, theinner surfaces of the sides and top being reflecting,

fleeting, and the upper side of the bottom 3 being non-reflecting, the"light producing element being located. above the horizontal plane of thefront endof the top, the rear end of the tube encircling said opening,one of the sides being hinged to said body, and releasable means forattaching the other side to the body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. -PAULL. CALDWELL.

